JPS6056489B2 - Intrabody guidance device for endoscopes - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention makes it possible to easily insert a flexible tube into a body cavity using the screwing motion of a rotating member disposed at the distal end of the flexible tube to be inserted into a body cavity. This device is particularly characterized by the structure of the rotating member that moves in a threaded manner.

In this type of endoscope or gastrocamera, mechanical insertion means has conventionally been used to insert the flexible tube into the body cavity by pressing while grasping the insertion base of the flexible tube. According to the type of press insertion means, the insertion work is not easy due to the sliding resistance between the outer wall of the flexible tube and the inner wall of the cavity.
Furthermore, especially in areas where the sliding contact pressure is large, such as a curved inner wall of the cavity, there is a risk that the sliding wall surface may become ticketed or even perforate the wall surface if it moves.

Therefore, instead of such mechanical pressure insertion means,
A possible means of performing the insertion operation under traction is to install a self-propelled drive device near the tip of the flexible tube by remote control.

As a driving device for this purpose, a screwing motion by rotation is effective in obtaining thrust since the device moves within a lumen that is relatively highly extensible.

However, since this kind of lumen has the above-mentioned extensibility, it is often in a relatively free state in the body, such as in the intestine, and therefore it is difficult to apply a force in a certain direction to such a lumen. There is a risk that the lumen itself may move or become twisted.

Therefore, the present invention provides an insertion drive means that obtains thrust by rotational screw insertion, and in particular, provides an apparatus that does not cause twisting or the like in the lumen itself due to this drive.

The illustrated embodiment will be described in detail below.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the device of the present invention, in which a device housing 2 is attached integrally or removably to the distal end of a flexible tube 1 of an endoscope. Two rotating members 3a and 3b, which are driven to rotate in opposite directions, are successively fitted onto the outer periphery of the housing 2, and the outer peripheral walls of both rotating members 3a and 3b are , several jetties 4 are arranged in a direction that intersects with their rotation centers and are inclined in opposite directions.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view showing the configuration of the main parts in the first illustrated embodiment, in which a large number of permanent magnets 5 are arranged on the inner walls of both the rotating members 3a and 3b, and corresponding thereto. A large number of excitation coils 7 are arranged on the inner substrate 6 of the device housing 2, and a stepping motor is constructed using these rotating members 3a and 3b as rotors.

The electric wire 8 for supplying power to the excitation coil 4 is not only extended along the outer periphery of the flexible tube 1 to the manual operation side as in the illustrated embodiment, but also buried in the flexible tube in advance. You can do it like this. In addition, as a driving means for these rotating members 3a and 3b, a rotary drive device separately installed on the manual operation side of the flexible tube 1 is connected to the rotating members 3a and 3b via a flexible wire placed inside the flexible tube. It is also possible to drive the

FIG. 3 is a side view showing another embodiment of the device of the present invention;
In the illustrated embodiment, a projection 4'' protruding from the outer periphery of the rotating members 3a and 3b is configured in a spiral shape, and the device housing 2 is installed slightly lower than the tip of the flexible tube 1. be.

According to the device of the present invention having such a configuration, it is attached to the distal end of the flexible tube 1 of an endoscope or the like, and the rotating member 3
By driving a and 3b, for example, in the case of the first illustrated embodiment, when driving pulses are sent from a separate power supply device through the electric wire 8 extended to the hand operation unit side, the generation interval of the pulses is changed. Both members 3a and 3b rotate in opposite directions at rotational speeds corresponding to the rotation speed.

Therefore, the rotating member 3 is placed at the mouth of the body cavity where the flexible tube is intended to be inserted.
Insert parts a and 3b in a slow motion state or in a paused state together with an oral rim expansion device or the like.

Then, when the power supply device is operated to increase the rotational speed of the rotating members 3a and 3b, the rotating members 3a and 3b rotate, respectively.
Depending on the direction of its rotation and the direction of the inclined jetty 4, the inner rotating member 3a generates thrust even when the jetty 4 slides against the inner wall of the cavity, and similarly, the rotating member 3b also generates thrust in the opposite direction. Even with the inclined jetty 4 in the opposite direction to the rotation, the rotating member 3a
generates a thrust in the same direction as the thrust caused by In particular, since both rotating members 3a and 3b generate thrust by rotating in opposite directions, the twisting force on the inner wall of the cavity due to the rotating member 3a and the inner wall of the cavity due to the rotating member 3b are Since the torsional force is in the opposite direction, the inner wall of the lumen will not be twisted by the screw insertion operation into the lumen.

Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the thrust generated by each of the rotating members 3a and 3b is similar to that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and it is possible to obtain a smooth and effective thrust. As described above, in the device of the present invention, a rotating member having an inclined jetty is attached to the distal end of the flexible tube inserted into the lumen.
By rotating this member, a thrust is generated by the screwing action of the inclined jetty, and the tip of the flexible tube easily advances to the deep part even under the pushing pressure of the conventional flexible tube.
It is possible to eliminate all problems such as difficulty in deep insertion and pain for the patient in the endoscope insertion means, and in particular, since the rotary member is driven to rotate in the opposite direction, it is possible to eliminate the difficulty of inserting the endoscope into the deep part. It is well-prevented from twisting into the lumen, allowing smooth insertion into the deep part of the lumen, and has good grip on the walls of the intestinal lumen during rotational drive, preventing it from spinning idly. However, the device of the present invention is extremely practical according to its intended purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional side view showing the main parts of the internal mechanism in the first illustrated embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view showing another embodiment of the invention.

1...Flexible tube, 2...Device housing, 3a
and 3b... Rotating member, 4... Jetty, 5
...Permanent magnet, 6...Inner board, 7...
...Exciting coil, 8...Electric wire.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A housing 2 is integrally or removably attached to the distal end of a flexible tube of an endoscope, and a pair of rotating members 3a and 3b are driven to rotate in opposite directions around the outer periphery of the housing 2. are successively fitted together, and projections 4 and 4' are arranged on the outer circumferential walls of both rotating members 3a and 3b in a direction that intersects their centers of rotation and are inclined in opposite directions, and the above-mentioned casing is In the body cavity of an endoscope, a rotational drive device is provided in the body 2 or on the hand operation side of the flexible tube, and the rotational members 3a and 3b are rotationally driven by operating the rotational drive device. Guidance device.